MUSICAL

Sat 15th Oct 7.45pm: WEST SIDE STORY (12A) 2021 US 156min. Dir Steven Spielberg, screenplay Tony Kushner.

Cast: Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, Rita Moreno. Street gangs the Jets and the Sharks play out their bitter rivalry amid the slum clearances of New York’s Upper West Side, but when Jets’ member Tony falls in love with Maria – the sister of the Shark’s boss – events start to spiral. Spielberg’s triumphant reimagining adds depth to the Puerto Rican characters and features fluid cinematography to capture the electrifying choreography, while the excellent cast hit all the right musical and emotional notes. ‘It’s very intimidating to take a masterpiece and make it through different eyes and different sensibilities without compromising the integrity of what is generally considered the greatest music ever written for the theater. But I believe that great stories should be told over and over again, in part to reflect different perspectives and moments in time into the work.’ Steven Spielberg.